Dear friends and neighbors,

Last week and part of the weekend we spent long hours every day under the dome of our beautiful State Capitol. We will continue racing against the clock in the House chamber, debating and passing as many bills as possible to the Senate before the March 8 deadline.

When I hear people say that we are politically very divided, I wish they’d come to the House chamber gallery to witness how the majority of the bills we pass are bipartisan. Sure, we sometimes disagree, but I believe every single legislator, on both sides of the aisle, is here because we share the same goal: to make a difference in the lives of the people we represent.

Quick Update on Two Bills

Crab Legs for the Win

I have discussed my House Bill 1010 at length in previous newsletters (Jan 21 and Feb 5), so I won’t repeat information you’re already familiar with. But I do have an update: we passed it out of the House on a unanimous vote this past Friday! This is great news for folks in our coastal communities because the crab fishery is an important economic driver in our area, and for the state as well because it will ensure we have a safe and consistent supply of crab meat.

This is the third year my bill receives the full support of the House. I hope this time it makes it out of the Senate. I’ll keep you posted.

Click here or on the image below to watch my Floor remarks on final passage of this bill and click here to read the press release that went out Friday evening.

Drought Preparedness

Recent droughts have brought hardship for farmers, ranchers, and small communities, and killed hundreds of thousands of salmonid and other aquatic species. Agricultural crops were also destroyed or damaged due to reduced water supplies.

Some rural drinking water supplies literally dried up, requiring water to be hauled in by trucks to meet basic sanitation needs. Even in our district, while not as severe as in other parts of the state, some of our communities have been hit by droughts. I introduced House Bill 1138 to improve how the state prepares and responds to droughts, and I am happy to report that we passed it out of the House on a 96-1 vote this past Tuesday. Under my bill, projects funded by grants issued to address drought conditions no longer need to be completed while a drought emergency order is in effect. It also creates the Emergency Drought Response Account in the State Treasury; and it allows the Joint Legislative Committee on Water Supply During Drought to meet when a drought advisory is in effect and when a drought emergency order is in effect. This legislation will help us to better respond to sudden and unanticipated drought emergencies before drought hardships become severe.

Telephone Town Hall

Please join Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, Rep. Steve Tharinger and me at our telephone town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 28 from 6 to 7 p.m.

You’ll be able to ask us questions and hear live answers from us during the hour-long town hall.

Shortly before 6 p.m., a random cross-section of district constituents will be telephoned and invited to participate in the town hall; if you want to participate, please stay on the line.

If you do not receive the call but would like to participate, please dial in by calling 877-229-8493 toll-free and using the ID code 116281.

Or, to ensure you get the call, you can sign up at Vekeo.com/WHDC24

Thank you for taking an interest in what I’m working on in Olympia and keep in mind you can call or email me with feedback, questions or just to leave a comment.

Sincerely,

CONTACT ME

LEG 132B | PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504
Mike.Chapman@leg.wa.gov
(360) 786-7916 | Toll-Free Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 | 1-800-635-9993 (TTY)
housedemocrats.wa.gov/chapman

Legislative Assistant: Brady.Hood@leg.wa.gov

Committees
Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chair)
Consumer Protection & Business
Transportation